James Steven Griles is the Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Interior. He was appointed to that position on July 12, 2001. Griles was formerly a principal with National Environmental Strategies, Inc. (NES), a consulting firm providing advice to companies, trade associations and others with regard to policy, regulatory, environmental and energy issues at the Federal and State government level.
Prior to joining NES, Steve was Senior Vice President for Public, Environmental and Marketing Activities for the United Company. Located in Bristol, Virginia, the United Company was a diversified natural resources company with select diversification in non-energy areas, with operations in coal, oil and gas, cogeneration, gold mining, manufacturing, real estate, hotels, and golf operations with both domestic and foreign interests.
Since his appointment, environmental groups say Griles has continued lobbying for his oil, gas and coal industry clients. A freedom of information request in September 2002 turned up evidence that Griles has met with former clients in the fossil fuel industries, despite having signed a written agreement stating he would recuse himself from "any particular matter involving specific parties in which any of [his] former clients is or represents a party."
